


Nobody Knows You Know

by Ella (ellabellachicketychella)



Series: why do the stars shine so bright [6]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Garrison trio, Homesick Lance (Voltron), Insecure Lance (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Lance (Voltron) is a Dork, M/M, Minor Injuries, Protective Hunk (Voltron), Swearing, Team as Family, rated for language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:08:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27254722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellabellachicketychella/pseuds/Ella
Summary: Lance lives a pretty crazy life, living on a space ship with his friends (and space royalty) while they save the aforementioned space from a megalomaniac ruler. There is some domesticness to it, some constants. Even if those constants include your friends getting hurt, another friend being part-alien and arguing with a space princess.---“I’m not that clumsy with my sword," Keith argued, "If I wanted your head off, it’d be at my feet.”“Way to comfort a guy..." Lance grumbled.
Relationships: Allura & Coran & Hunk & Keith & Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt & Shiro, Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Series: why do the stars shine so bright [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1979423
Comments: 10
Kudos: 176





	Nobody Knows You Know

Lance lived in space. Space, was pretty weird, which while not a shocker was something that every now and again he forgot. Late one night he stumbled out in his lion slippers, feeling more homesick than usual.

Longing to see the crystal blue water that reflected everything important to him, wishing to feel the rain on his back or the sun burning the back of his neck as he ran around, surrounded by humid air.

_Dios,_ he missed it.

He wanted to see his family again, to hug them tightly and tell them he was alright. Sure, sending that message home was nice and all. But it wasn’t the same, it would never be the same until he saw them again.

Stumbling to the kitchen Lance was reminded (again) of his family. How they’d cook for large family events and they’d have leftovers for weeks, and how every year on his birthday his Mama would make garlic knots. Even when he was at the Garrison, his siblings would get together and send garlic knots to the Garrison.

It was silly but it was home.

What Lance hadn’t expected to see, was Keith, sitting on the counter. His eyes glowing.

So he screamed and Keith jumped like a cat did when they were shocked. “Que carajo!” He yelled, stumbling backwards. There was a light and Keith’s bayard was being pointed at him, underneath his chin.

“Qué mierda estás haciendo!” He yelled, and Keith’s arm dropped and he sighed. “You could’ve taken my head off!”

“I’m not that clumsy with my sword,” Keith argued, his bayard transforming back and being put on the counter. “If I wanted your head off, it’d be at my feet.”

“Way to comfort a guy,” Lance grumbled, walking past Keith and opening one of the cupboards for any sort of food that was in there. “We had a bunch of snack bars…” he muttered. “Where are they?”

“Oh,” Keith said, and Lance spun around. His dressing gown moving in a way that made him feel like Batman or some other superhero. Were they technically superheroes?

Lance sighed, “Did you eat them all?”

“No!” He crossed his arms, “I didn’t eat them all… they’re just in my room.”

“Why are they in your room?” He sighed, sounding a lot like his Mama, or even Shiro when he was so utterly confused at a thing when he sighed and just sounded like the most resigned parent to ever parent.

Keith nudged the counter with his foot. “Uh— I didn’t have that much food growing up so now I kinda horde it.”

“Oh,” Lance said. Because he understood, his family hadn’t been the richest when Lance was growing up, so he took whatever he could get. A habit that carried over to the Garrison, where he had food stored everywhere. Just in case. 

He thought now, he also had a box of food under his bed. But that was for emergencies and he’d completely forgotten about it, Lance nodded. “Okay.”

“It’s kinda weird I know—”

“It’s not, I do the same thing,” Lance confessed and Keith looked at him, shock evident in his expression for a few seconds. “Well, it’s kinda weird. But I get it.”

“Food insecurity amiright?” Keith muttered and Lance laughed, mainly because it was such a Lance thing to say and Keith just said it like that. He shook his head, rolling his eyes at Keith. 

“Hey wanna do something?”

“Nothing good ever starts like that,” he complained. Sighing, closing the cupboard door that Lance had left open.

“C’mon, watch a movie with me, I can’t sleep and I’m not sure if you do sleep.”

“You’ve seen me sleeping,” he crossed his arms and turned around to look at Lance. Looking a little bit tired with him

“Like twice, it could just be faked.”

“Yes, because I faked a nightmare,” Keith deadpanned and Lance didn’t know if he was supposed to laugh or not. “You can laugh.” Lance snickered a little bit and Keith nudged him with his shoulder and Lance laughed a little bit harder.

“C’mon, we’ll have a feast,” Lance grinned. “I bring my emergency supplies, you bring yours.”

Keith sighed. “No.”

“At least watch a movie with me, Keith,” he dragged out the word ‘Keith’ impossibly long. “Please! Keith, Keith, Keith, Kogane, Samurai, Idiot, Keith, Keith, Keith, Keith.” He started prodding Keith with his foot. “Keith! Please.”

Keith looked at him blankly, and Lance tried to do his best pleading face. Keith threw his hands up in the air. “Fine, I’ll watch a movie with you.”

Lance gasped dramatically, clapping as he jumped up and down. “Thank you, Keef!”

“Keef?”

“Keef.” He confirmed, “Sit on the couch, don’t murder anything.”

Keith nodded and Lance sprinted down the hallway, before arriving in his room. Getting his blankets and pillows, carrying as many as he could in his arms. Which was a lot. He struggled a little bit to see around them.

He managed before throwing everything at Keith who suddenly was buried under a bunch of blankets and pillows. Keith kicked them off and glared at Lance who just shrugged, before jumping onto the couch. 

Wrapping himself up in a burrito he looked at Keith, his arms crossed, sitting upright perfectly. “Keith, chill. I’m not going to pull a knife on you.”

Keith didn’t relax and Lance sighed. “Why are you so tense?”

“I’m always tense,” he shot back and Lance didn’t have an argument for that. So relaxed into the couch, laying down surrounded by his burrito. “What movie?” Keith picked up the remote and Lance shrugged.

His eyelids were incredibly heavy, as he blinked. Watching whatever Altean movie that Keith had put on, staring at it. Then up at Keith, who looked back down at him, his eyes impossibly fond and soft.

Finally, he’d relaxed. Keith’s legs were crossed underneath him, he also had a blanket burrito around him. So the only part of him Lance could see was his face and his bangs, honestly, he looked pretty silly.

It was late at night and Lance was sleep-deprived, which was the reasoning he’d give for saying, “I miss my family.” Then he sniffed and Keith froze up, before looking down at Lance. “I wanna go home.”

Then Lance was crying, tears making their way down his cheeks. As he shook slightly from the sobs he was making. Keith just looked at him for a moment and Lance decided he was the most pathetic human to ever exist. Most people would kill for a chance to be out in space, it was something straight out of a book or movie, but all Lance was doing was crying about it.

Warm arms wrapped around him. “Hey,” Keith said softly, “It’s okay, you’re going to get home. You’re going to see them again.”

“I want to see them now,” Lance cried and Keith held him a bit closer. Tears hit their blankets and he sniffed ugily. “What if they forget me?” He sniffed.

Keith shook his head, his expression so strong that Lance found himself staring. Ready to believe whatever Keith said. “Lance McClain, no one could forget you if they tried.”

Lance laughed, “You did.”

Keith looked down, before meeting Lance’s eyes again. “This is embarrassing—” he let go of Lance and covered his face, and Lance could swear he was turning red. “I thought your name was Taylor.”

“What?”

“Everyone called you Taylor.”

“They called me _the_ Tailor,” Lance argued and Keith’s face had realisation written all over it. “Because I got through tight gaps and stuff— that sounds wrong.”

“It wasn’t wrong until you made it sound wrong!” Keith laughed, shaking his head. “You’ll see your family again Lance. I promise.”

And judging by his expression, determined, like he’d never been more sure of anything in his entire life. Lance believed him with everything that he had.

* * *

“When Keith was younger, we were playing Uno. He ended up getting like a draw twenty-four,” Shiro laughed, covering his mouth, before continuing with a huge grin on his face. “Then he threw the cards at me, before proclaiming he’d never hated anyone like me.”

Keith covered his face, shaking his head into his palms.

“Then like half an hour later he came out of his bedroom and asked me for McDonald's,” Shiro grinned at Keith who was currently laying on the floor shaking his head as people laughed.

He sat up, his eyes sparkling. “One time I walked in on Shiro and—”

Shiro clamped a hand over Keith’s mouth who yelped. Then Shiro drew his hand back scowling. “Don’t bite me!”

Keith responded by (maturely) sticking his tongue out at Shiro. As Hunk clapped his hands, meaning it was his go-to tell an embarrassing story and Lance already knew it would be about him.

Lance sighed and everyone looked at Hunk, who might as well have been bouncing up and down in his seat. He already knew which story Hunk was going to tell.

When Lance was still lanky and hadn’t really grown into his body. He’d been walking down the hallway, and he’d bumped into one of the people pestering him. Lance jumped so hard that he hit the guy in the face, and then Lance had freaked out and hit someone else in the face.

He did that a lot at the Garrison. That time he did get beat up afterwards though, he looked at Hunk who was mid-way through the story. Sometimes he wondered if Hunk knew that he was being bullied at the Garrison. Pidge thought he just got pestered sometimes, but just to the level of “guys being dudes”.

From what Lance could gather when they met was a one-off. It was not a one-off, not even a little bit. 

Hunk was still telling the story when Keith met his eyes, scanning for something. “Are you okay?” He mouthed and Lance nodded. But Keith refused to break eye contact until Hunk made the punchline and people started laughing.

“Wait,” Keith said, “How did all of you two meet Lance.”

“Some kids were pestering me,” Hunk said, “And Lance told them to go away, they called Lance an immigrant or something, then Lance threatened to get Shiro and they ran off.” Hunk looked at Pidge.

Pidge’s eyebrows were knitted together, looking at Lance before she looked away. “Um, oh yeah, one of them kicked Lance in the nose, and he made a bad pun.”

Lance smiled at that and Pidge punched him in the arm.

“It’s kinda weird,” Keith said, his eyes still trained on Lance. “That I also met Lance with a bleeding nose.”

Hunk straightened up, his eyes darting to Keith. 

“You said someone beat you up,” Keith said, “I told you to tell someone and you said something about no one believing you or telling you to ignore them.”

Everyone was looking at Lance now, who crossed his arms and hunched over a bit. “Okay! Yes, I was bullied a bit at the Garrison.”

“A bit?” Keith repeated, “Didn’t you go in one time with a broken rib?”

“You remember that?” Lance said, slowly, because he couldn’t quite believe it. “Why do you remember that?”

“You’re not an easy person to forget McClain,” Keith spat, but he still got up off the ground and hugged Lance. Tightly, and Lance laughed when he felt Shiro, Hunk and Pidge join into the hug.

It was nice.

Maybe his family were millions of miles away, but he found another family. And that was nice and good, and if Lance teared up a little as everyone hugged him. (Even Allura and Coran joined in) no one mentioned it.

* * *

“I’m sorry,” Hunk had said not long after and Lance had looked up from his book on the Galra. “For not realising.”

Hunk’s eyes were shining, and not in the happy-go-lucky way, in a sad way and Lance was not here for that kind of negativity. So he got up off the couch and hugged Hunk, and hugged him tightly.

The way he’d hug his nieces and nephews, or his brothers. Hard enough so that they’d complain about not being able to breathe.

Hunk hugged him back twice as hard and having the air squeezed out of him for some reason felt like home. Like Marco or Luis hugging him every time he went to go off to the Garrison.

So until Lance started coughing he let Hunk hug him, and when he started hugging Hunk let him go. Looking a bit sheepish, which Lance didn’t emotionally have any time for Hunk being embarrassed.

Lance placed a hand on Hunk’s shoulder, “Look, buddy, I hid it well. It’s not your fault, I promise.”

Hunk sniffed, “I’m mad Keith figured it out before me, I’m your best friend, what sort of failure of a best friend doesn’t realise?”

“You’re not a failure,” Lance assured, “Not in any capacity. Keith is just… annoyingly observant.”

He nodded and Lance hugged him harder. “You’re the best, best friend anyone could ever ask for.”

Hunk smiled, his face lightening and some of the weight in his shoulders disappearing. “Thanks, Lance.”

“I only speak the truth,” Lance grinned and Hunk ruffled his hair. “I speak nothing but the truth, don’t be mad because I’m honest. C’mon, to the cave.”

“Couldn’t have said it better myself,” Hunk grinned. “Pidge!” He yelled as they walked past the living space. “Come play video games!”

“Fuck yeah!” Pidge yelled, pumping a fist in the air. Jumping from behind the couch, Keith looked at them.

If Keith looked a little wistful it wasn’t for long. Before his face went blank and he went back to reading his book. Lance opened his mouth to say something when Pidge grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him away.

Hunk and Pidge were playing, and Lance was watching them intently. “Hunk move outta the way!” He yelled, just before a _Game Over_ screen popped up on his screen and Lance sighed. As Pidge whooped.

She yelled again, before throwing herself back onto one of the blankets in here. “You guys suck at this game! Where’s Keith, he’s actually pretty good at the game.”

“On the couch?” Lance said, “Or training deck.”

“Can you go get him, Lance?” Pidge asked, using the puppy-dog eyes that Lance couldn’t resist even if he tried, Lance sighed before standing up. “Thank you, Lance!” She said in a falsely happy voice.

“One day those puppy-dog eyes won’t work on me Pidge,” Lance argued, “Then you’re in trouble.”

“I don’t believe that day will come,” Pidge responded, like the little cheeky, gremlin she was and Lance agreed but wouldn’t say that out loud, so instead flipped her off and closed the door with a little bit more force than he needed. Allura was walking down the hall and Lance stopped in front of her, she sighed and went to move past her. “Allura.”

“If this is another flirting attempt, your face is going to become acquainted with the floor,” she snapped. “Wait… when was the last time you tried to flirt with me?”

“Uh…” Lance tried to think, before shrugging. “I don’t remember… it’s been a while, do you want me to flirt with you or something?”

“For old time’s sake,” Allura smiled and Lance would’ve fainted at the idea that this was happening a while ago, now Lance doesn’t feel anything. It’s like when Pidge and Hunk smile at him. 

“Hey Allura, are you a star?” Lance asked, and Allura wrinkled up her nose. “Because I can't stop orbiting around you. How was that?”

Allura shook her head, but she was smiling. “That was utterly terrible.”

“Yeah, it was,” Lance rubbed the back of his neck. “Look… Allura, I’m sorry for flirting with you when you clearly weren’t interested. That wasn’t cool of me and if I were you I probably would’ve thrown me out the airlock.”

“While it was tempting,” Allura grinned, brushing some hair over her shoulder and Lance couldn’t help the small laugh that came out of him. “You don’t need to impress me, with your bad pickup lines, I already think highly of you.”

“Are you flirting or being nice?”

She rolled her eyes, in a very Keith-like way. “I’m being nice, Lance, I have no interest in you romantically, and I don’t think you do or even really did, to begin with.” She looked at Lance, scanning his eyes. “You don’t need to earn their respect, your teammates already respect you.”

“Har. Har, okay,” Lance went to move past Allura but Allura threw an arm out in front of him and pushed him back, with a startling amount of force and he just stared at her for a moment, as she looked at him earnestly.

“Lance.”

“Allura?”

“Your team respects you, I respect you. Even when you’re impulsive and reckless and burst into a room saying something so absurd everyone pauses. I’m not sure why you can’t see that you’re a good person, but you are.”

“Have you seen Keith?” Lance blurted out because somehow that was easier than listening to Allura. “Pidge wants to play a video game with him because the rest of us suck at it.”

“Video… game?” Allura repeated, her eyes sparkling. “What’s that?”

“Basically like a movie but interactive?” Lance said, before vaguely gesturing to the door he came out of. “Pidge and Hunk are in there, they’ll explain it.”

Allura nodded excitedly, like a little kid before basically running down the hallway. She paused and turned around to face Lance, a small grin on her face. “He’s on the training deck.”

“Cool, thanks!” Lance said before Allura pressed the button and the door that opened to ‘the cave’ buzzed as Lance started down the familiar hallways.

He turned down the hall leading to the training deck.

“Ah fuck!” He heard Keith yell and Lance bolted down the hallway.

What he saw was Keith, with a gladiator pointing a sword at him as he sat against the wall. The sword at his chin as Keith's chest heaved up and down, staring wide-eyed at the gladiator. His bayard had been thrown so that it was basically at Lance's feet.

Weren't the gladiators supposed to not hurt them? What level had Keith put the damn gladiator at. He was going to get hurt.

Lance didn’t hesitate to pick up the bayard on the floor. It quickly transformed into a gun and Lance fired it at the gladiator's chest who transformed into pixels. Keith stared at Lance, still panting and his eyes wide.

“What?” Lance asked, “Are you injured, what’s wrong?” He rushed, forward. Kneeling next to Keith who was gaping like a fish.

“I— you— what, you—”

“Spit it out.”

“My bayard!” He yelled, looking down at Lance’s hands, still gripping the bayard. “You used my fucking bayard!” He yelled, snatching it away and scowling before it transformed into a sword. “That’s my bayard…” he said, weaker this time.

Before glaring at Lance and Lance put his hands up in surrender. 

“I’m sorry?”

“Stop doing my job,” Keith snapped.

“Huh?”

“You yell at Shiro that he’s being dumb, you use my bayard, you teleported my bayard!”

“I thought you did that.”

“I didn’t do that! Stop doing my job,” Keith crossed his arms and huffed, not too unlike a toddler. He glared at Lance, his cheeks puffing out. “You’re gonna take my job unless you don’t stop right now McClain.”

Lance had an idea.

“Fight me then, the winner gets Red.”

“That’s not how that works,” Keith muttered, but stood up anyway. “No bayards.”

“What? Why?”

“Because you’ll use mine dipshit!” Keith yelled.

“But you’re better at hand to hand,” Lance complained, “It’s barely a fair fight.”

Keith grumbled but agreed.

So hence why Lance was standing with his gun out, while Keith had his sword ready to strike. Holding it out in front of him, his eyes narrowed and scanning. Lance moved his foot a little, getting a better stance.

He met Keith’s eyes, Keith just smirked and moved his other foot back. Before his eyes narrowed as he moved forward, with a big sweeping swing. Lance brought up his shield hearing the thunk it made.

Stumbling back Lance planted his foot as Keith went for another swing. He blocked with his shield, before crouching, and swinging a foot out in a swing. Keith made a noise before jumping back and attempting to grab Lance’s foot.

He brought up his gun as he walked backwards. Sending a shot at Keith who ducked under it and swung again. Lance took a deep breath, aiming the gun. Right at the bayard, as it transformed into a sword and got ready to be swung.

Curling his finger around the trigger, the sword went flying. Hitting the ground behind Keith with a clatter, who looked shocked for a second. But didn’t even stop before throwing a punch at Lance who ducked underneath it.

Lance wanted to be mad at Keith making him fight in close-quarters but he couldn’t be mad. Because it was a smart move, Keith couldn’t fight long-range and Lance could barely fight short range.

Another hit, which landed and Lance sucked in a breath, as pain shot through his jaw. His gun was ripped out of his hand and hit the ground behind him. More pain in his jaw and Lance blocked the next punch.

Trying to get his punch in, he managed to land a fist against the side of Keith’s head. He flinched before attempting to kick him. Lance blocked. Keith went for another punch and Lance ducked underneath it completely.

Opposite sides now.

Keith moved forward, another attempt of a punch which didn’t land and another and another. Until Lance couldn’t do anything but block, because Keith was a flurry of movement, with fists and kicks flying everywhere.

A kick landed and Lance was sent sprawling back. Basically right on top of the red bayard, that he’d promised not to use. Keith’s eyes widened as the bayard transformed into a sword this time.

“You asshole,” Keith yelled, as Lance got up onto his feet.

Glancing over his shoulder Keith started walking backwards, as Lance sighed. “In my defence, I’m going to be bruised tomorrow.”

“In your defence, you’re an ass.”

“True.”

Keith stood on the blue bayard, and Lance broke out into a run, holding the sword above his head. He had too much momentum, he wouldn’t be able to stop— Keith was going to get hurt and Lance wouldn't be able to stop—

There was a flash of blue.

There was a flash of purple light and a loud ringing noise. And Lance was thrown away, hitting the ground with a grunt as he looked up slowly. His ears were ringing too now, Keith was across the other side of the room.

He was sitting and looking down at his hand. His hand which was holding Lance’s bayard, transformed into a blue sword. The exact same type as his. Keith looked up at Lance as he sat up.

His ears were still echoing, and he couldn’t hear a thing. Keith’s lips were moving, he knew that much, and he looked mad as he got up and walked over. His lips were definitely moving, so why couldn’t Lance hear a thing.

Something moved at the doorway, and Lance felt very, very, extremely tired. His eyelids being weighed down by an invisible force like all the energy had been sucked out of him. Keith was mad, his eyebrows were narrowed and he was yelling.

But what was he yelling? Question of the century.

How were his ears still ringing? Then he didn’t hear much of anything as everything went black. Like going to sleep.

_Duérmete mi niño, duérmete mi amor, duérmete pedazo de mi corazón._

It seemed like someone sang to him like his Mama used to when he was a boy. A soft purring voice, and so when he was lulled off to sleep he had no reason to fight it.

* * *

“How is this my fault?” Someone yelled. “He wanted to fight me, I didn’t think we’d make an explosion you could hear throughout the castle!”

“You should know better Keith.” A sterner, older voice responded which Lance could almost recognise.

“Why do I always have to know better? Lance knows he has a connection to Red, he grabbed the sword. I grabbed the bayard to defend myself!”

“He could’ve lost his hearing forever.”

“I was there too and my hearing’s fine!” The younger, more annoyed voice yelled. “He was the one being reckless!”

“Take responsibility Keith, you’re not innocent either.”

“How is this my fault?” The younger voice, Keith. Lance remembered that. Keith. “Stop blaming me for everything that goes wrong in Lance’s life. He’s skilled enough to ruin his life on his own without me.”

Lance almost laughed at that.

* * *

The next thing Lance remembered was stumbling out of the pod and right into Hunk. Who caught him. “You’re good,” Hunk’s voice said, “You’re good.”

Lance nodded, and everything came back to him in a flash. He’d been dumb, he wasn’t even on a mission and he was being dumb. Keith was Keith alright, he was there too. “Keith,” he managed, despite the fact his throat felt like pure sandpaper. “Where’s Keith?”

“I’m here.” A flat voice said and Lance looked up. 

There was the mullet he knew, Lance smiled at him before his knees gave out on him and several people ran to catch him. He sighed before just giving up on holding his own weight and let other people do it for him.

“Wha’ happened?” Lance said as someone stood him upright.

Allura stepped forward, and Lance saw Keith scowl. “First of all,” she hit him in the shoulder and Lance would swear he heard something crack. “Second of all, that was incredibly reckless! There is a reason you don’t use other bayards unless it’s an emergency!”

Pidge pulled Allura back, “That’s not what happened. We think that you lost your balance when going to swing at Keith. So you were gonna properly hurt him, a pod required sorta hurt. So you activated your bayard, essentially you were using two bayards at once which drained you. Hence.” She gestured to Lance. “That.”

Lance smiled, before feeling himself falling in a direction and someone caught him. “Is he alright?” Hunk asked. “I mean— he’s acting drunk.”

“He’s been drained of his quintessence,” Coran chimed in. “It’s highly unlikely he was going to come out of the pod ready to run a… what’s the saying?”

“Marathon,” Shiro said bluntly.

“A marathon!” Coran said happily and Lance nodded, feeling off-balance as someone else caught him.

“Ha.” Lance muttered, “Keith should take care of me.”

“Please no,” Keith said.

“Please yes!” Pidge exclaimed. “That would be amazing.”

Shiro looked at Lance, who was currently being held upright by Hunk and Allura. As Keith sat to the side like the true emo he was meant to be. Lance laughed at that before stumbling again as Allura caught him with a sigh.

“Would you rather look after Lance, or clean the pods.”

“Pods,” Keith said bluntly. Lance stopped stumbling for a bit to look at Keith. He hated the pods, an unreal amount. One he was claustrophobic, two he got stuck in a pod once and he tore the pod lid off its hinges.

_Oh!_ Lance realises, _he also went Galra then!_ But doesn’t say anymore because even as out of it as he currently is he remembers that Keith has a secret and that Lance knows that secretary and that Keith doesn’t know that Lance knows the secret.

Lance sighed. “It’s official, he hates me.” Hunk caught him again as he staggered to the side. “Keith! Why do you hate me.”

“I don’t hate you.” Keith snapped in a voice that heavily implied that he hated him. “Shiro please, have mercy, be kind.”

“I am not kind,” Shiro responded with an evil laugh. “Or maybe this is a blessing in disguise.”

“Lance barely knows his name right now!” Keith looked at Lance, “Hey Lance, what’s your name.”

“Uh, Leandro— no, no, Lance. Lance… something, McClain, something.”

Keith looked at Shiro. “See what I mean!” He gestured to Lance. 

Pidge was cackling, “This is great,” she got out her phone which Shiro snatched out of her hands quickly. “Hey!” She jumped up to snatch the phone back but Shiro held it out of her reach. 

Lance’s legs gave out and Allura caught him, with a tired sigh. “Look, you can argue about who’s looking after Lance later. But right now we need to put him on a bed or couch.”

“Not interested, Princess,” Lance muttered. “I thought we just cleared that up?”

Allura slapped him lightly in the arm and Lance cackled. Before dropping again this time actually hitting the floor with a crash and sighing. He tried to get up before falling back down. He looked up at Shiro. 

“Shiro, help!”

“What are you five?” Keith muttered, as Shiro dragged Lance onto his feet and held him upright. “We could just throw him out of the airlock.”

“No!” Everyone else said.

“I dunno,” Lance muttered. “It could be funny.” Then proceeded to close his eyes.

* * *

He was on the couch next, and Keith was sitting, arms crossed in the beanbag. Glaring at him almost. “This is your fault.”

“Ha.” Lance sat up, “They made you look after me.”

“You sound less like an idiot.”

“Thanks!” Lance sat up rubbing his eyes.

Then they’re quiet after that. Lance dozing in and out of sleep, and he could swear someone played with his hair. But it wasn’t Keith, because yeah, Keith cares a lot, but playing with his hair… not Keith’s style.

Keith’s style is giving himself (and Lance) to the Galra because he needed medical help. It’s trusting Lance to have his back in battle, it is certainly not running his fingers through his hair or generally being soft.

“Huh,” Lance says when he woke up, knowing he was about to fall back asleep in a few seconds, so he had to say something endlessly witty. “You don’t hate me.”

“I don’t hate you,” Keith confirmed.

\---

The next time Lance remembers waking up he did it quietly, sitting up and looking at Keith. Who was asleep in the beanbag. Lance laughed softly, before putting his own blanket around Keith as he snored.

He stood up and Shiro was standing there, smiling. Like how Luis did when he was younger. “Oh, hey Shiro.”

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah,” Lance glanced around to Keith who was still snoring. Everyone knew Keith didn’t sleep in front of other people, unless he was unconscious, like dying levels of unconsciousness. He’d done it once, then had a nightmare. Before falling over the back of the couch and smashing his head on the ground.

Lance’s eyes travelled away from Keith back to Shiro and Shiro made a small gasp when he saw Keith sleeping. Before grinning widely and clamping a hand to his mouth, meeting Lance’s eyes. “I knew it.”

“What?”

“Nothing, nothing,” but Shiro’s eyes are sparkling and he’s smiling wider than Lance has ever seen him smile. So it doesn’t seem like nothing. “Just reminded me of someone.” Lance nodded, as Shiro ruffled his hair.

He doesn’t know when his relationship with Shiro turned into… this, bickering, like siblings or and older sibling forced to be a parent so soon. God, Lance remembered when he shook Shiro’s hand and felt like fainting. Now if he shook Shiro’s hand it would feel like a cop-out. Lance nodded, slowly, glancing between Shiro and Keith.

“Uh… okay then,” Lance said slowly. Nodding a little. He stepped past Shiro and Shiro made a noise which seemed like a squeal and Lance spun right back around wanting to ask a million questions but instead saying nothing.

* * *

_“Be careful Keith, I’m sick of you coming back injured.”_ Lance had said.

_“I’ll be careful.”_

_“You can’t be too careful.”_ Lance had responded and Keith had rolled his eyes, but still hugged Lance before heading off.

* * *

For once, no one was injured. Keith came back smiling and Shiro came back smiling too. “I didn’t get injured,” Keith said, giving unenthusiastic jazz hands. “Proud of me?”

Lance laughed, “Every day, Mullet.”

Keith rolled his eyes, but there was something underneath the said rolling of those eyes. That night Lance laid in bed, dissecting the eye roll and trying to figure out the alternate meaning that he knew was there.

He came up with nothing.

* * *

Hunk got hurt. Pidge did too. Lance could’ve done more, he could’ve gotten in the way, there was so much he could’ve done and he just froze like the failure of a paladin he is. So he decided to do a Keith.

And throwing things around his room. That didn’t help, so his room was trashed and he had fallen onto his bed, buried his face into his pillow and cried. Snot going everywhere, tears staining the fabric.

So you could say he was handling it well.

Someone knocked and Lance unburied his head from his pillow. Looking up. “Lance fucking McClain open this door or I’m tearing it down.”

Ah. That was Keith then.

“Fuck off Keith!”

“Fine, I’ll break down the door!” He yelled and there was a loud ringing of echo and Lance got up, opening the door as Keith was mid-kick and would’ve got kicked in the chest if he hadn't jumped back. “Oh, hey.”

“If you’re here to make fun of me you can fuck right off.”

“We are way past me making fun of you,” Keith muttered, grabbing Lance by the arm and pushing him onto the bed. “Okay McClain, before you get a McFucking complex I’m going to explain why this isn’t your fault.”

Lance scrunched up his nose. “Are you always this aggressively caring?”

Keith spun around, looking at him with a flat expression.

“I’ll take that as a yes then,” he crossed his arms and Keith crossed his too.

“So I know you’re blaming yourself because you have a saviour or hero complex and somehow this is your fault. First of all, Hunk took the hit for you, everyone here would do it if they could like how you’d take a hit for any of us.”

“But I—”

“I’m not done,” Keith snapped.

Lance did not remember him being this angry.

“Second of all, there was shit all you could’ve done. Your back was turned and you were defending me, it’s more my fault than yours.”

“If I hadn’t—”

“I did a risky move so you had to look after me, is Hunk getting hurt my fault?”

Lance shook his head.

“Then it’s not your fault either,” his tone had gotten progressively softer. He sat next to Lance on the bed. “Seriously, it’s not your fault Lance. None of this is your fault, I don’t even know how you twisted Pidge being hurt into your fault. You were on different planets.”

Lance hugged his knees to his chest, tears threatening to spill. Building up behind his eyes, and he wanted Keith to leave, he wanted Keith to leave because he was going to say something nice and then Lance was going to start sobbing.

He didn’t want anyone to see that.

He knew he was pathetic, he didn’t need other people rubbing it in for him. 

Then Keith put an arm around him and hugged him in a way which was a little bit awkward, but a lot more endearing. So their shoulders were pressed together. “It’s not your fault Lance, okay? It’s not your fault, these things happen.”

“These things shouldn’t happen,” Lance sniffed.

The dam was going to break, the dam was going to break. Then Keith was going to tease him about it, then he was going to tell everyone and they’d kick him off Voltron—

“Lance,” Keith said gently. “Breathe.”

Lance breathed, which was good because he needed oxygen to live. Which while not a shocking revelation was one that at that time he’d managed to forget. Keith was holding his wrists, lightly.

“This isn’t your fault,” Keith said softly, his voice impossibly soft, if Keith wasn’t sitting in front of him right now Lance would think it was someone else. He was rubbing circles with his thumb on Lance’s wrist. His eyes looking at Lance’s even if Lance was looking elsewhere. “I’d be the first to tell you if something was your fault… this, this isn’t your fault.”

The dam broke and Lance started crying, and he expected Keith to leave. Get up and leave and never come back, but Keith instead hugged him so tight that Lance forgot that he had ever doubted him. “I know,” Keith whispered and Lance cried harder.

Somehow Keith held him closer. And every sob that Lance made Keith held him closer. It didn’t take away the pain. But it made Lance know that if Keith could take the pain away from him he would. He’d do it in a heartbeat. Somehow that was better than him taking away the pain.

So as Lance fell apart Keith held him.

It felt nice to be cared for.

When the sobs turned into hiccups and his tears were dried he looked at Keith’s shirt. “I got snot all over it.”

“I don’t care.”

“It’s your only shirt.”

“I don’t care,” Keith said, his voice lighter this time. “If the world was ending I’d be like, ‘oh well, time to hug Lance’ and I wouldn’t even fight it.” He gave a tooth-filled smile, which was almost boyish and Keith looked so much younger.

Lance just laughed, flopping back onto his bed. “Thanks, Keith.”

“I care about you idiot, I don’t like seeing you hurting.”

“Unless you win when we spar.”

“Unless I win when we spar,” Keith repeated, and Lance could hear the biggest smile in his voice.

* * *

“Lance McClain!” Pidge had yelled and Lance jumped. “You forgot to tell me how you knew how to get outta handcuffs.”

“He knows how to do what?” Shiro asked, looking up from his coffee-sludge, then glanced at Keith. Who was smiling almost proudly. “Do you know how to get outta cuffs too?”

Keith nodded.

Shiro looked mad enough to flip a table and Lance almost didn’t doubt that he would. “Why the everloving fuck do you know how to get out of cuffs Keith!”

“Did you even read my record?” Keith replied, scowling at his food-goo. “I literally escaped from police twice.”

“Oh,” Shiro said, before looking down at his food, before turning to Lance. “Why do you know how to get out of cuffs?”

“Well… I had some wild teenage years.”

Keith cringed. “I hope I am just dirty-minded.”

“You are,” Lance sighed and Pidge had her phone out. “It was a cool party trick, which is why I brought a bobby pin to every party I went to. Also to pin my bangs back,” he ran a hand through his hair, absentmindedly. “Also I almost got kidnapped one time.”

“You what?” Hunk screeched, “Why did— what?” He looked at Lance, his eyes bulging enough to pop straight out of his head. Shiro and Keith also looked similar, and despite the fact that Lance had told Pidge this, she still looked shocked.

Allura and Coran had gone quiet, from their chatter to just staring at Lance.

“I almost got kidnapped,” Lance said, almost laughing. “This really isn’t funny. So basically, they thought I was the kid of some important dude and threw me in the back of a car. Until they stole my wallet and saw my ID and was like ‘shit’ so they threw me out of the car and I got outta the cuffs using YouTube.”

“You had reception?” Pidge asked.

“It’s 2052,” Lance responded bluntly. “Yes I had reception, so I broke my thumb and it turns out I’d been missing for like two days and rocked up in New York and everyone totally flipped out. I think it was in the news.”

“Holy shit!” Shiro said, “The Garrison went absolutely crazy, that was you?”

“Yup. Everyone thought I just wasn’t going home for the holidays, so when Mama came to America and was like square the fuck up.”

Keith laughed, shaking his head and everyone looked at him. “Sorry,” he said between laughs, “It’s just such a Lance thing.”

Lance rolled his eyes but smiled back at Keith. “True, go off Keithers.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Say yeehaw then.”

Keith’s face dropped, “Yeehaw,” he said with about the same enthusiasm that Lance would talk about pineapple on pizza, or camping and everyone started laughing again. Everyone else was laughing too hard to see.

But Keith was smiling too.

* * *

Keith was not smiling. 

“The Galra are evil,” Allura said. “The universe isn’t safe until they’re all gone.”

“That’s called genocide,” Lance snapped. “How is that any better than the Galra? I don’t exactly think Alteans are beacons of pure goodness.”

Allura slammed her hand down on the table, shaking with anger. "How dare you."

Lance did the same, "How dare you stereotype an entire group of people. What if I was Galra?"

The room went silent, and everyone looked at Lance. "Does that make me evil? No! Of course, it doesn't!"

"Are you Galra?" Shiro asked.

"No! But that's not relevant." Lance waved a hand, "If I was Galra, would that take away from the good I've done. If I was Galra would I suddenly be evil and worthy of being killed for something I can't control?"

“The Galra didn’t kill your people,” Allura snapped, her voice seemingly clogged up with tears, emotions, something. “You have no right to say whether the Galra have the capacity to be good or not.”

“They could!” Lance yelled, “My family could currently be enslaved by the Galra, or dead, or anything, and I wouldn’t know because I’m out here fighting an intergalactic space war that started when humans were still in tents and caves! And still, I’d know that Galra aren’t all evil because no one is all evil.”

Allura’s face contorted with anger. “How dare you speak to me like that?”

“Allura,” Lance sighed, deciding to stop with the yelling before Coran actually threw him out of the airlock, “I respect you, a lot. But I can not respect this view, and I’m finding it hard to treat you with respect when you wouldn’t treat me with respect if I was Galra.”

Everyone stayed quiet and Lance sighed again, “I’m sorry for yelling, but I won’t apologise for showing basic empathy.” He pushed his chair back, and walked off glancing at Keith before he left.

Who looked like crying and Lance couldn’t tell if that was a good thing, or a bad thing. He turned around and walked off, leaving the table in silence as he trodded down to his bedroom. 

The door opened and Lance threw himself onto his bed, staring up at the roof. “Yell at a princess,” Lance muttered bitterly. “That’s a new low.”

He sighed before lifting up his blanket and burying himself into it. Sighing and staring at his wall of photos. He’d worked with Pidge and Hunk to get this wall of photos, and it had his favourite photos, all taped onto his cupboard.

The biggest one that Lance could see as clear as day was the one of his entire family, it was a present for their abuela. All of her kids and their kids were all packed into one photo. Lance smiled at his cousins and uncles and aunties. Then at his siblings and nieces and nephews.

He stood up, bringing his blanket with him. Before brushing a hand over the photo, as if that would put him back to that day. With food and laughter and overall celebration because Lance had made it into the Garrison despite barely knowing how to read and write English.

Smiling he looked to the next photo, one that he cared about just as much. Team Voltron, it was a photo that Coran had taken. All of them (minus Allura) were in their armour, in various stages of beaten up.

Keith had a cut on his forehead bleeding everywhere. Lance’s wrist was at an angle which was slightly off. Pidge had bruises on her forehead, Shiro looked perfect because of course he did. Hunk’s bandana was askew slightly and his hair was a mess. Allura’s hair was just as messy and she had a slightly bloody lip.

Still, they were all laughing, at a dumb joke that Lance had told. Their eyes were alight and Lance sighed, before sitting back down on his bed. “Yell at a princess, good job idiot,” he muttered before sighing again.

The door squeaked open and Allura was standing there.

“I already said sorry,” Lance sighed, “Don’t yell at me.” He wrapped the blanket slightly tighter around himself and Allura sat down next to him and Lance leant away slightly.

Allura could totally still kick his ass if she wanted to, and Lance wouldn’t even blame her that much. “The way you spoke to me was unacceptable.”

“I know.”

“But I’m glad you did it,” she said, looking straight ahead. “Someone needed to tell me that I was wrong, and I am glad that you were able to do it.” She glanced at Lance, a smile across her lips. “Let’s hope you don’t speak to all members of royalty like that.”

Lance laughed shortly, and slightly awkward.

“I can’t berate you for standing up for what you believe in, and using logical arguments, even if you’re yelling.” Allura said softly, “And I can’t critique you for not listening to my every argument and accepting it as your own. I’ve seen where I was wrong.”

“Cool,” Lance managed.

“You were right, that I would respect you less if you were Galra. I need to work on that.”

“Yeah, you do.” Lance hugged his blanket around him more. “I can’t blame you that much, the Galra did essentially wipe out your people.”

“But I’ve come to realise that not all Galra did that, just a select few who were evil,” Allura finished with a short smile. Before throwing her arms around Lance and Lance hugged her back. “Thank you for being some well needed reason.”

“Anytime,” Lance grinned into her shoulder. Before letting go, “Also, you need a break! You’re too busy being a princess, girls night tonight, right here.”

“You’re not a girl?” Allura said, “Are you?”

“It’s just a saying,” Lance laughed. “You know, braid each other's hair, gossip, talk about crushes.”

Allura laughed, rolling her eyes. “You’re a good kid, and an even better friend.”

Maybe a while ago Lance would’ve been hurt at being placed in the friend-zone, but he wasn’t anymore. He was completely fine with being put in the said friend-zone and smiled widely at her.

Allura smiled widely back before ruffling Lance’s hair and hitting him in the arm. “That’s for yelling at me.”

Lance couldn’t help but to laugh.

* * *

“Lanceakins,” Hunk said and Lance looked up from his book. Again on Galra. “Why are you reading up on Galra?”

He glanced at Keith who had also looked up from his book, and was staring at him. Looking away Lance sighed at Hunk. 

“Knowledge is power.”

“Cool!” Pidge said, “Read up on the Galra so we know how to take one down!” She pumped a fist in the air, and at Lance’s expression she slowly put her fist down and went back to her video game.

“Other cultures are interesting,” Lance said with a shrug. “Maybe I’ll learn Galran? That could be useful, right?”

He was met with some shrugs and Keith looked back down at his book. Everything went back to normal and there were no questions asked. Good. He looked at Keith, who didn’t have the usual crease in his eyebrows and counted this as a win.

A small win. But still a win.

* * *

_Arrorró mi niño, arrorró mi amor, arrorró pedazo, de mi corazón._

Where was that singing coming from? Lance sat up in his bed, listening to the words that his mother sung so softly, and gently when he was going to sleep. So softly and gently that it felt like a dream.

_Este niño lindo, que nació de día, quiere que lo lleven, a la dulcería._

Was this a dream? There hadn’t been singing before. Only when Lance got all his quintessence drained from him. Was there soft singing? Or was he making that up? He couldn’t hear anything when he went down. So how did he hear singing?

_Este niño lindo, que nació de noche, quiere que lo lleven, a pasear en coche._

He rubbed his eyes, listening to the words. Letting them pull him back to sleep, he didn’t care who or what was singing to him. It was the sound of home, the home he’d left behind and the home he was going to return to. He’d see his mama again and he’d be able to sing the lullaby to his nieces and nephews.

_Duérmete mi niño, duérmete mi amor, duérmete pedazo, de mi corazón._

Home. Was the only thing on his mind as he got pulled back to sleep, feeling shockingly calm as he did so. Home.

There was a bright red flash and Lance sat up in his bed, panting as his chest heaved. What? He looked down at his shaking hands. What was happening to him? With a shuddering breath which seemed to get stuck in his throat, he lied back down.

What was that?

Try as he might, there was no more singing and all he could see when he closed his eyes was the bright red flash. Ready to startle him from his sleep.

What was happening to him?

**Author's Note:**

> The lullaby is "Duérmete mi niño" which is what the mysterious thing sings to him. The first line when he's passing out and the full lullaby when he's waking up. You can listen to it here: https://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=5601 (and just scroll down if you want to listen to it)
> 
> I've set up some foreshadowing, some mystery. 
> 
> So incase you're wondering Pidge doesn't know that Keith is Galra as such, she just thinks he's part another alien. But she hasn't figured out which alien yet.
> 
> Otherwise: Keith & Lance are 100% sure that he is Galra
> 
> Pidge is 100% sure that Keith is at least part alien.


End file.
